A Long Night
by Chloekat1
Summary: Simon finds out Baz is a vampire and follows him around school. Baz's hunger habits have gotten out of control and now Simon must find Baz before it's too late...


Summary:

Simon finds out Baz is a vampire and follows him around school. Baz's hunger habits have gotten out of control and now Simon must find Baz before it's too late...

Disclaimer:

Simon Snow fanfiction from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Simon Baz and their mythical, magical world are not mine, I merely borrowed them for your amusement. Thank you for reading and I'll post more if you'd like. Rate/Review to give me a little happiness boost, please!

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Simon Snow was running. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He had to catch up to them. He had to. Otherwise, it would be too late.

"Baz, stop!" He called out into the blackness of the forest.

"Don't interfere Snow, this isn't your fight!" Baz shouted back. Simon could hear the menace in his voice.

Simon finally caught up to them. Baz hunched over Penelope, his fangs barred, ready to strike. Penelope was squirming under his hold. Simon could see a few cuts littering her body. He held his wand up, his arm slightly concealed under his cloak.

"It _is_ my fight!"

Simon had chased Baz all over the bloody school since he'd found out about that Baz was a vampire. Now, Simon shuddered at the thought.

"It's my responsibility to protect Penelope, as my friend...as my..."

Simon thought about that. He and Penelope had been fast friends since he'd first arrived at the Mage's school. She had been the first person he met and helped him get his bearings as a first year student. He had hoped that maybe one day, Penelope would show a deeper affection toward him, instead of just the warm smile and reassuring sense of hope she gave off to everyone.

Simon caught Penelope's eyes between Baz's strands of dark hair. Her cheeks had flushed and tears were streaming down her face. Her eyebrows looked as if they were permanently knitted together in woeful arches. Her quiet sobs filled the empty air of the still forest.

"Baz." Simon spoke. His voice was even, almost fearless. "Stop this. You don't want to hurt Penelope."

Baz turned around slowly. Simon could see the blood pooling around his mouth and oozing down his chin. In his bloodstained left hand he had his wand extended out. His eyes were fierce and wild, there was an animal air about him. Simon had never seen him like this.

Baz let out a low hiss. "Stay back Simon." he held his wand out further in defense. "Don't test a _vampire's_ patience."

Simon gulped. _How long? _He wondered. _How long has he been this way? How long have I not known? _Simon pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind.

"Baz," He began. "Come back to the school with me, we can go back to how it was. We don't have to fight."

"You don't get it, do you?"

"Get what Baz? That you're a _vampire_?" Simon unintentionally spat the word. He had always hated vampires, but now that his best friend was one, what could he do?

"I know Baz, but..."

"But what?!" Baz was growing impatient. "But nothing Snow! I'm a bloody creäture of the night. I can't ever get to see the day, I can't get too close to people I care about, I can't control myself..."

Baz's voice was starting to crack and Simon could just make out the path of streaming tears through the blood on his cheeks.

"Baz..."

Simon didn't know what to say, so instead he closed his mouth and lowered his wand. He took a cautious step toward Baz. When he saw that the hand holding Baz's wand had gone limp, Simon decided it was safe. He took the remaining steps to Baz's side. He took his arm in one hand and put his own wand back in his pocket with the other. Moving his hand from his wand to his handkerchief, he handed it to Baz. Baz wiped his face, turning away and going to sit on the outstretched root of a large oak tree.

Simon had almost forgotten about Penelope. _Almost._ He reached a hand out to her and helped her up. He gently wiped the tears from her face and told her to go back to the school, see the nurse, and get some rest. He watched her walk away, out of the forest, before turning back to Baz.

Baz had hunched over himself, hiding his face. Simon could see that his chin still had a slight red tint to it. He walked over and sat next to Baz, keeping a foot of space between them. He thought back to when they had first met.

Simon hadn't been watching where he was going and crashed into someone, spilling his textbooks across the floor. He'd looked up to see Baz sneering down at him.

_Watch it you pig! _Baz had said _You klutz, who let you on the school grounds? Keep at _least _twelve inches away from me!_

Baz's friends had jeered with him. He'd pushed past Simon and smirked at Penelope. She'd rolled her eyes. Simon would've laughed at how strange the disgruntled expression looked on her beautiful face had he not been spitting dirt and scraping together his textbooks.

Now, he sat with Baz in the still and silence of the forest just outside of school grounds, both staring at the dirt and leaves, not wanting to say anything to the other. It was Baz who finally broke the silence.

"Thank you..." He breathed, almost less than a whisper. It was enough, the forest was so silent at..._God, what time is it?_ Simon thought to himself.

"Don't thank me..." Simon replied. "That's what friends are for." And he meant it. Over those past seven years he and Baz had slowly become friends. They were the sort of friends that hated each other in a loving sort of way. _What do you call those?_ Simon wondered._ Frenemies i think..._ Whatever they were, they were there for each other, no matter what, through it all.

Simon thought back to when he had failed his potions exam.

Baz had started pacing their shared dorm room.

_Well maybe they counted your score wrong. _Baz had said.

_Zero is zero no matter how you count it_. Simon had mumbled back.

_Maybe it was someone else's_. Baz argued. _Maybe they turned it in with your name because they were trying to spite you. Maybe..._

_ Just stop Baz. I failed, that's all._

_ No, Snow, you're the smartest mage I know. The Headmaster chose you for all those ridiculous missions for a reason!_

_ Don't you get it Baz? He chose wrong. I'm not the one he was looking for. I'm not..._

_ No! You have been everything he said you were. You lived up to all his expectations. You are more than an ordinary mage Snow!_

Now, it was Simon's turn to be there for Baz.

Said vampire chuckled. "That's what friends are for? To stop their friend from nearly devouring the other's girlfriend?"

Simon laughed. He didn't even bother pointing out that he and Penelope were just friends. "Not to mention chasing that friend all over the bloody school ." Simon added.

Now they were both laughing. When they stopped, Simon smiled at Baz. Baz looked down at his shoes, his forehead creased with worry. Simon rested a hand on Baz's shoulder reassuringly. Baz looked up and Simon offered his other arm out. Baz collapsed into the hug. Simon felt his shoulder sleeve go damp. It was so unlike Baz to cry, to show any emotion other than despise. It was like a small hare eating a cobra alive. Unimaginable, unsettling, and left a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach. Simon began to hear short sobs. He hugged Baz more tightly. When Baz had finished, he wiped his nose on the sleeve of his school robes.

"Come on," Simon spoke, standing up slowly. "Lets go back to the dorm."

"Okay..." Baz stood too, somewhat shaky. "Thank you Snow..._Simon..._"

Simon smiled, and Baz smiled back.

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Thank you for reading! Remember to Rate/Review, it would really make my day! Until next time,

~Chloekat1


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